Evergreen’s Hunter Van Wert with the ball in Friday’s game against Bryan. The Vikings fell to the Golden Bears 26-0 to drop to 0-4 on the season.
Kevin Nichols | Fulton County Expositor
Bryan broke a scoreless tie with a second quarter score, then used a short field score and defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter to finally put away a spirited performance from the young Evergreen Vikings, 26-0 Friday night.
After a scoreless defensive struggle in the first stanza in which there was just one first down, Bryan finally put together a sustained drive against an improved Viking defense.
A third down completion that covered 24 yards from Zac Nobis to Josh Jones got the ball into Evergreen territory before the same combination hooked up eight plays later on a screen from 11 yards out to make it 7-0 Bears with 6:04 left in the half.
After a Colt Arthur punt return set Bryan up deep in Viking territory again, Evergreen came up with a big fourth down stop at their own 35 by Isaac Yunker and Colton Pawlaczyk to turn away the Bears.
Bryan struck again in the third, taking over after Jack Etue’s fourth and short pass was too tall at the Evergreen 44. It took the Bears 10 plays to cover those yards before Damon Betts took in it from the 3 with 1:59 left to make it 13-0.
Bryan scored again in the fourth on a 37 yard drive in nine plays when Nobis scored on a fourth down play from the 2 and then when Alex Potvin picked off a pass and took it 20 yards to paydirt.
For the game Bryan accumulated just 247 yards, including 141 on the ground in 39 carries. John Rittenhouse trudged for 99 of those on 22 carries.
The Vikings got just two first downs against the Bears and only 70 yards of offense. Etue was 8 for 17 but for only 44 yards. David Carroll got 20 of those on two catches.
Evergreen makes the trip to Liberty Center this Friday.
Reach Joe Blystone at [email protected]
